Face 面子，是一種人際關係中的現象，中國等級觀念較強的社會，有面子，一般會被認為是社會地位較高，受到特別重視。如果不給人面子，即是不尊重別人，可能會引起報復。如果你失面子，名譽受損，或者令人看來覺得你很愚蠢，you lose face，you are humiliated or you do something weak or stupid which makes people respect you less：One doesn’t want to back down and accept defeat in argument and risks losing face。這句可能來自中國的成語，意思指某人真情敗露之後，用扇子遮掩蒙羞的面孔。
Save face 保全面子，這句成語來自中國說法，指某人臉上保持冷靜的表情，盡量避免真情流露，恐怕丟臉，影響名譽。You do something to save face so that people will not lose their respect for you：Both parties saved face with the compromise。You say something to someone’s face 即是你在某人面前，公然不客氣批評他，說些他聽來不舒服的話。
厚顏叫不要臉。臉，通常位於頭部的正面 the front of head。臉，具有表達情緒、展現內心、提供辨識等不同功能。
面部表情（facial expressions）的動詞，林林種種，可謂七情上面，例如：to beam 笑逐顏開：to have a big happy smile；to frown 皺眉、蹙額：to make a serious，angry，or worried expression；to glare 怒目而視、咄咄逼人地瞪眼：to look in an angry，aggressive way；to grimace 因為痛苦、厭惡等原因而扭曲着臉：to make an ugly expression；to scowl 怒視：to look at someone in an angry or annoyed way；to smirk 儍笑，以示自鳴得意：to smile in a silly or unpleasant way；to sneer 嗤笑，翹起上唇譏笑，以示輕蔑：to show no respect。
形容面目的生動說法，不勝枚舉：一個機構的發言人，在英文中會使用 the “face” of 某個機構這種用法。一個建築物中面向前方，或物件與外界接觸的部位，也通稱為 the face。A long face is a sad or disappointed expression 非常嚴肅或很不高興的樣子。A blank face，a poker face，a straight face 均是沒有表情的臉：a face that reveals no expression。
面對面（face to face）表示 two people together，person to person，in each other’s presence。露面（show one’s face）表示到場：appear，come，attend a place or an event only briefly，在某處短暫出現。從表面判斷 on the face of it = apparently 顯然，based on the facts that are available。
至於形容某人 she is not just a pretty face，則是指她美貌與智慧兼備，this expression is used humorously to say that someone is intelligent，when most people think this is surprising，as we often think beauty is superficial and skin deep。美貌是膚淺的 Beauty is only skin deep，美貌不如心靈美，how a person looks is less important than her character 勿以貌取人。
Skin 皮膚的作用，因物種而異，有保暖、保護色、吸引異性等作用，在人體是最大的器官。
動物的皮有厚有薄，厚皮叫革（hides or rawhide），the covering of a large adult animal such as a cow，buffalo，horse etc。Skins and hides from different animals are used for clothing，bags and other consumer products，usually in the form of leather 皮革，but also furs 皮毛。
皮膚的形容詞（kinds of skin on the face）：pale skin；dark-skinned/fair skinned；dry/oily/sensitive skin；smooth/soft skin；leathery skin；scaly skin；good/bad skin；healthy/unhealthy skin。
Skin 比喻方面，厚臉皮的，不計較顏面的，即是對人們的批評不以為然，不敏感，對別人的侮辱，麻木不仁，都可以說：have a thick skin，insensitive to people’s remarks and not easily upset by criticism or unkind comments。反之，臉皮薄的，對批評或侮辱易生氣的話，可以用 thin-skinned，you are easily upset by criticism or insults。從政的人，不可以臉皮薄，受不起批評：Politics is not a job for someone with thin skin。瘦得皮包骨，瘦骨嶙峋：nothing but skin and bone = extremely thin in a way that is unattractive and unhealthy。渾身濕透 soaked to the skin = very wet。讓人起雞皮疙瘩 make your skin crawl = make you feel afraid or full of disgust，說法接近 jump out of one’s skin 大吃一驚；嚇一大跳。
至於 save someone’s skin/save your own skin 有些分別；前者表示挽救某人，營救某人rescue somebody，後者表示保全自已的性命，使自己免受懲罰 try to avoid death，punishment，etc. especially by leaving others in an extremely difficult situation。Can someone save Harper’s skin? I’m skeptical.
本專欄逢周二、五刊登
